A Starter Studio in Murray Hill

Updated Oct. 10, 2012 7:35 p.m. ET

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Pictured, the exterior of the building on East 36th Street in Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood where Ms. Long found a home after several years of living in London. She purchased the studio apartment with the help of her parents for $200,000 in 2003 according to database information provided by her broker, Mike Schulte of Citi Habitats.
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Ms. Long, pictured with her dog Lila, a chihuahua from a rescue group, was living in the East Village with roommates in 2002 when she set out to find her own home. She called on her mother for help in the search. Her mother and father met and lived in New York City in the 1960s.
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She fell in love with apartment 1J's 120-square-foot backyard, describing it as a 'separate space and in a separate little world.' She thinks the space might work for someone young, but also 'someone who likes to retreat a little bit ... which I think is hard in New York sometimes,' she says.
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

Ms. Long has had to find creative ways to maximize the space in the 450-square-feet apartment, using a bookcase as divider between the bedroom and living room space, pictured, which leads to the backyard. In a nod to the time her parents spent in the city, she has 1960s-style pieces in the apartment, such as the credenza from the era that serves as the TV stand.
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The living area is pictured. Ms. Long recently married and says the space has become too small for two people and a dog. 'There's not a lot of space to hide,' she laughs. 'For most of the year, we use [the garden] as another room.'
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

An area for dining, next to a bookcase divider which separates the bedroom area from the living area. Living in a studio is not without its challenges. ''I always warn [houseguests.]: 'There isn't a door. We can see each other all night long. So just be prepared for that.''
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

Ms. Long says she has a 'design-within-reach' taste, and will often search for affordable versions of furniture she admires. Shelving in the living room displays art above the dining area, including photographs taken by Ms. Long's father when he lived in New York City. 'I liked the way the space flows, it feels like a larger apartment, I think, than it is. It's easy to divide,' says Ms. Long.
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

The sleeping area, situated between the living area and kitchen. Ms. Long says some of her work as a magazine editor was useful when designing the space. 'I'm certainly very aware of my environment and aware of aesthetics.' Ms. Long describes beauty as a 'lovely world' to work in. 'It's all about making people feel better and finding pleasant, pretty things in an otherwise unpleasant, un-pretty world.'
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

The bedroom nook, walled in by bookshelves. Ms. Long used mirrors to give the feel of more space and has gone through several types of wallpaper to create different moods in the house. Books are an essential part of the space, she says. 'I knew I needed to maximize the space as best I could, and also, obviously, to personalize it,' she says. 'I feel like books just automatically make a place feel like home.'
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The kitchen with opening to the sleeping area is pictured. ''When I first saw that the bedroom was right next to the kitchen, [I thought] 'Oh, it's so weird,' but it's really easy to hand somebody a cup of coffee,'' she says.
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

Despite being a wallpaper and paint aficionado, Ms. Long decided to leave the bright yellow kitchen alone, the work of a previous owner. 'I love it. It makes [the kitchen] really bright and sunny and cheerful. I kind of actually want to have a yellow kitchen forever,' she says.
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The bathroom was renovated three years ago but Ms. Long has not made many other structural changes to the apartment, estimating that she's spent about $20,000 on the apartment over the last nine years. It's likely that a lot of that was spent on the garden, she says, especially replanting every spring.
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

Ms. Long's jewelry hangs in the closet. The building has a part-time doorman from 4 p.m. to midnight who is able to accept deliveries and a location that is only four blocks from Grand Central. 'You can get anywhere in the world from Grand Central,' she says. The apartment is on the market for $369,000 with Mike Schulte of Citi Habitats.
Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal…

When writer April Long, now beauty editor for Elle magazine, set out to look for her first New York City home, she found it in a studio apartment with a small backyard in Murray Hill. She stayed for nine years. -- Jackie Bischof